Changes Of Primary Headache Related White Matter Lesions In Pediatric Patients

Abstract

We aimed to describe the long-term prognosis of white matter lesions detected on magnetic resonance imaging in children with primary headache. Children who were admitted with the complaint of headache and had nonspecific white matter lesions on magnetic resonance imaging were included in the study. The clinical findings of the patients were reinvestigated using the same magnetic resonance imaging scanner and acquisition protocol after at least a two year period. Magnetic resonance imaging results of the patients were documented in detail. Findings of the baseline and follow-up studies were compared with each other by the same radiologist. Among the 11 patients, 8 (72.7%) were male and 3 (27.3%) were female. Mean age of patients at the time of second imaging was 12.9 +/- 2.3 years. Eight (72.7%) had migraine without aura, 1 (9.1%) had tension-type headache and 2 (18.2%) had migraine with aura. The mean clinical follow-up period of the patients was 4.31 +/- 1.31 years. All patients had low headache frequency on the last control visit when compared to the first clinical findings. The follow-up magnetic resonance imaging studies showed two newly developed white matter lesions in two patients who had migraine without aura and the white matter lesions disappeared in the patient who had tension-type headache, compared to the baseline neuroimaging. Findings of the baseline and long-term follow-up magnetic resonance imaging studies of the patients with primary headache showed no significant changes in terms of the location, size and laterality. Repeated neuro-imaging studies are not warranted in the absence of the progression in clinical findings.